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Sunday September 29, 2013

Did you know there are different types of garden walls? If you don’t, then you need to make sure you do the research before you commence on building a garden wall. There have been instances where the type of construction has been wrong, with fatal consequences for people when the wall has been unable to withstand the loads leaning on it.

Planning permission

As a general guide (and you will need to check local regulations), walls in the UK should no higher than 2 metres – if you want to build a taller one, you will need planning permission. If the wall will be facing a public highway, it will need to be 1m or less. If you do want a taller wall than the regulations dictate, then you will need to give the planning department good reason why you want this.

Retaining walls

The most common wall we are asked to construct is retaining walls. Usually, homeowners are landscaping their gardens and when there is a change in the levels, a retaining wall is needed. This wall must be constructed correctly so that it is able to retain or hold back the weight of the soil etc. behind it.

This is done by the weight of the wall being correct and fit the purpose for which it is intended. One of the most important factors in a retaining wall is making sure drainage is sufficient; when this is not taken into account, there can be a build up of water behind the wall. In wet weather, this can add significant weight to the soil etc. behind the wall. Likewise, the water can weaken the foundation the wall, reducing the strength of the wall significantly.

Hidden walls

Another wall that was common in older times was the hidden wall, also known as the ‘ha-ha’. Whilst it may seem odd to bury the wall in a garden, at one time it was the landscaping fashion to have a variety of levels within a garden; in many cases, the structure needed supporting and in order to do this a wall needed to be built. But rather than having the wall on show, the wall was hidden in the ground.

If you are thinking of adding a wall to your garden or replacing one that is already there, make sure you know the types of walls available and that you get the right construction! S&D Projects are the perfect local firm to help you with any home or garden improvements – give them a call today!